Sacked street sweeper Shaun Turner: ‘If you were a pale stale, male you can’t go to work now and have a laugh’

The Darebin City Council worker who won his unfair dismissal claim after being fired for questioning an Acknowledgement of Country has revealed why he took a stand.

Shaun Turner says his legal win struck a chord with the ‘silent majority’. Picture: Alex Coppel

The street sweeper who successfully challenged his sacking for objecting to an Acknowledgement of Country at a toolbox meeting, believes his legal win struck a chord with the “silent majority”.

Shaun Turner, 60, said he believed “of course” the country was becoming too political and that “if you were a pale stale, male you can’t go to work now and have a laugh”.

Breaking his silence after the Fair Work Commission upheld his unfair dismissal claim against Melbourne’s Darebin City Council, the married father-of-three told the Australian he disliked Anthony Albanese and Dan Andrews and had voted Liberal at previous elections.

“If me and you are having a laugh over here, and he (a third person) takes it to management, well, next minute we’re getting a warning for not being inclusive,” Mr Turner said.

“Work is (full of) pretty much programmed robots. You have got to be careful of what you say.”

Mr Turner was sacked in June 2024 after he asked his colleague what he was doing when he started delivering an Acknowledgement of Country at a toolbox meeting – the first time it had done so.

Shocked, Mr Turner interrupted and said: “Are you joking, this is meant for special occasions, next thing you know we will have it at the opening of a letter.”

Council launched an investigation following his comments and Mr Turner was later dismissed.

The Research man challenged his sacking and last week the FWC sided with him and found Mr Turner’s termination was “unreasonable because there was no valid reason to dismiss him”.

Originally published as Sacked street sweeper Shaun Turner: ‘If you were a pale stale, male you can’t go to work now and have a laugh’